Don't Borrow Trouble
by RootsOfAHotelWindow
Summary: The Marauders' school days weren't just light-heartedness and romance, there was a war going on behind their school years as well. A Sirius-centric fic set in the 5th to 7th school years of the Marauder era. Eventual Sirius/Remus and James/Lily.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue - Fifth Year, September 1975

"Well, here we go again." James Potter sighed dramatically, but ruined it with a smile at the other three inhabitants of the room.

"Nice to be back, away from 'filthy blood-traitor!' 'Scum of the wizarding world!' And my personal favourite, 'get upstairs and change before your brother sees you in those whore Muggle clothes!'" Sirius threw his robes off with a dramatic flourish, revealing a red shirt that clung to his toned stomach and opened at his chest.

"Sirius, do you really think that shirt's fair on the female population of Hogwarts?" Remus Lupin was shaking slightly.

Peter looked over at him, his round face worried.

"Alright there Remus? Is it the moon?" Sirius sat on Remus' bed and put a hand on his back. He looked down, his grey eyes full of concern. "Wait- ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME?" Sirius shoved Remus off the bed in disgust.

"I think it looks good." Peter said, after Remus was upright and busy unpacking.

Sirius grinned at Peter and opened his suitcase to reveal at least four other brightly coloured shirts. "Glad you think so."

James put his glasses in a case. "Looks better than that crap on Remus' robes at any rate."

"James, I actually consider it an honour-"

"We weren't talking to _you_ anyway. It might even be against the _rules_ to talk to you." Remus replied by rolling rolled his eyes at James.

James had forcefully turned his back on Remus. As Frank Longbottom's empty bed was closest to the door, and then it was Peter's, James', Sirius' and Remus', this meant James was facing an expectant Peter.

"Pete, d'you know anyone capable of filling in Remus' shoes?"

"Yeah, he obviously can't fulfil his duties to upholding the order of chaos in Hogwarts any longer." Sirius added.

Remus' mutters of "that's an oxymoron" and "It's just a badge" went ignored.

"I can think of someone." James put on an enthusiastic circus ringleader voice. "They're just as cunning but twice as beautiful, still come with that out-of-order once a month clause, but I think, gentleman, you'll be very happy with Lily Evans as a Marauder!"

Groans filled the room and Sirius collapsed on his bed snoring.

The dorm room opened and its final inhabitant walked in. Frank looked across the room. "Sirius, it looks like my mother's handbag tried to eat you."

"Frank, darling!" Sirius adopted a high pitched voice and draped a red-silk covered arm around his waist. "I sincerely hope you have been with Alice and were cavorting merrily away to mark the start of term." Frank shook his head good-naturedly at Sirius' behaviour. "Let me display you," a quick tug to pull Frank's robes open, grabbing him harder to combat his escape attempt, "to the rest of the room, as I think some of us need to be reminded of how to have fun and _not be a Prefect!_"

"Merlin's sake Sirius, I'd rather undress myself if it's all the same to you. Congrats on getting Prefect, Remus." Frank directed the last bit at Remus and walked into the bathroom.

"Any particular reason we're going to sleep, instead of causing mayhem and destruction?" Remus asked when the lights were turned off and all five boys were in bed.

When he got no response he tried again. "This couldn't be for my benefit could it? You're finally going to settle down because I'm a Prefect and you all respect that?"

"Sleeping benefits everyone Remus, particularly you and particularly tonight," Sirius replied softly into the dark of the room.

"Nice. Obscure. I can't wait until you brand me with a 'P' in my sleep." Remus replied.

"What a wonderful idea!"

* * *

_This is my first fanfiction in years, I hope you enjoyed it! I would love some reviews, including concrit._

_Age-wise, Narcissa is a going to be a bit younger because I wanted her time at Hogwarts to coincide with Sirius'. She will be three years older than him. Frank and Alice are in the Marauders' year. I did want to make Frank and Alice older (seeing as Lily got pregnant so young I thought that they ought to wait a little bit, considering that whole war thing and all) but I hate naming characters so they're the obligatory other members of the Marauder's year in Gryffindor. Everyone else will be as canon-compliant as I could get._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Fifth Year, September 1975

'_Although animals are involved in both the Patronus Charm and the Animagus transformation, it is highly likely a fully fledged Patronus form will conflict with the caster's Animagus form. The casting of the Patronus charm usually ensures the form by selecting a choice that is sentimental or evokes happy memories for the caster, whereas the Animagus form will relate directly to the caster's personality.'_

Peter had eventually had to perform a minor levitating spell on Remus' Prefect badge before he relaxed enough to let his guard down and sleep. Then Peter, James and Sirius had put on James' invisibility cloak and gone straight to the Restricted Section.

Sirius was carelessly sprawled out under a disillusionment charm. He shuffled the book away and started a new one.

'_Animagus transformations are so hard to achieve because the form the caster will turn into is unknown. The caster must take on the characteristics of their animal, without knowing what it is, to achieve the_ _transformation. The first turning of the Animagus will require a two-part spell. The first part is spoken, and then the characteristics are acted out. If the user feels nauseous, they must stop and not attempt either part of the spell until the next lunar month.'_

He broke off his silent reading as the incessant tapping of a quill penetrated his thoughts.

"Sorry Sirius, there's only so much time in the Restricted Section a man can take. Some of us, who have already worked out the fine art of Animagus transformations, are getting a little bored." James leaned back on his chair and grinned at Sirius. His glasses were dangling from the hand that he was messing his hair up with.

Sirius pushed James' chair, and the ego sitting in it, back down to the floor. "Took you long enough considering it was the same bloody form your Patronus is." James bristled at Sirius, who continued with a smirk, "All the characteristics you needed were to eat a bit of grass and have a bit of a run."

"A year! It took us a bloody year, and then Pete has the great idea of trying different foods." Peter looked pleased, and James continued muttering. "I should've just ignored the buggering books and tried out my Patronus form..." Sirius stood up to stretch and pull his jeans up. He quite liked the idea of Muggle jeans, but they never seemed to sculpt to his form like Remus' did.

Peter said hesitantly, "What if I learn the Patronus Charm? Then it might be the same for me-"

"There's no point wasting time learning a Patronus. Animagus transformations will take long enough," said Sirius, who continued reading the book.

'_... Animagus transformation. The process is made infinitely more difficult by the different breeds of particular animals-'_

"Different breeds, we haven't tried that one. Knew it'd be a good idea to try out the Restricted Section rather than one book from Knockturn Alley."

Peter tried again. "But if I come up against Dementors, won't a Patronus be useful?"

Sirius smacked his forehead, causing Peter to jump. "Bollocks! I forgot how likely it is you're going to turn into some dark wizard who needs to evade Azkaban for years on end."

Peter stuck his tongue out half-heartedly at Sirius.

"Nice one, I can really see the eloquence and quick-thinking that makes you a Marauder."

James picked up on how Peter's shoulders slumped a bit. "If worst comes to the worst, and you kill Snape, then me, you, Remus and Sirius can band together as outlaws and evade them together. It'll be like that Western movie we saw!"

Peter now looked slightly dreamy instead of sulky. "I suppose girls quite like an outlaw."

Sirius, who had thought that movie fairly spectacular and quite liked the idea of spurs and cowboy hats, happily drifted into a fantasy. He smacked open the front doors of the bar, creating a silence where the barmaids had been chattering away in soft Southern American accents. He noticed Peter smoothly round up the two barmaids, muttering 'this isn't going to be a sight for delicate eyes' and winking at Sirius. And then Sirius would announce that they'd come for James' Lily, who'd been taken hostage. At this point, James and Remus would move to either side of him, James cracking his knuckles menacingly, but not so that Sirius lost any attention. Then Sirius would cock his pistol, and start shooting until he decided to show mercy on the last man in the bar, who would coincidently be the one who knew where Lily was.

Sirius wondered why the shootings hadn't stopped in his day-dream. He sourced the sound as James' continued tapping of his quill on the table.

With a sigh, Sirius said, "You don't have to 'help' us you know."

"Yeah," Peter said, "If you went to stay with Remus, he wouldn't get suspicious."

Sirius grinned. "Good man Pete, getting rid of the nuisance quill-tapper."

"I could very well be planning how to humiliate Snivelly at breakfast tomorrow," James muttered. Sirius had another long stretch, allowing his T shirt to ride up and James to relax his guard.

Sirius jumped up and snatched the parchment from James.

"Hmm... blank piece of paper, restless hand... Writing another love poem for Evans to incinerate were we?"

James grabbed it back before he realised there was nothing incriminating about a blank piece of parchment. He brushed it off and replied, "Well I've had to up my game this year, what with that traitor Remus hanging around her."

"You're right about Remus being a traitor, how dare he be a Prefect?" Sirius bemoaned.  
"How dare he be a Prefect with _my_ Lily!"

"Weren't you going to borrow his Charms essay?" Peter asked tiredly.

"If he weren't stealing my beloved away."

"Those who prefect together stay together," chirped Sirius happily at James' murderous look.

Silence. Peter broke it. "D'you think it'd be better to try wiggling my ears or hopping about for a rabbit?"

* * *

_Reviews would be lovely! _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Fifth Year, September 1975

Sirius walked from detention in a vicious mood from the unfairness of having to hand-clean the trophy room, which meant he would have to get up early to get his wand from McGonagall before lessons tomorrow. He didn't notice his cousin Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy coming toward him until a confrontation was inevitable.

"Well then Narcissa, isn't this one yours? Of course you'll allow me the honour." Lucius dropped Narcissa's hand and smiled at her.

"Well Lucius, I know it's an honour that I consent to talk to you but there's no need to be humble. We are almost family after all."

"Talk, Sirius?" Lucius raised an eyebrow at Sirius. "Ah I see. He had a no-magic-allowed detention. Gryffindors can't be expected to keep to simple rules after all. Especially not Sirius, who hasn't got an ounce of the propriety befitting a Member of the House of Black."

"I don't think I need a wand to fight you," Sirius muttered, trying to grasp onto the last dribbles of his false confidence.

"Don't need a wand Sirius? Maybe you don't need magic either?" Lucius' voice dropped the society airs and he hissed at Sirius, "I see Mudblood really is catching."

"As a matter of fact, Voldemort was entirely correct in that assumption." Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, don't look so surprised. I know the Pure-blood influence is waning when I don't get the urge to commit incest for the sake of 'propriety'".

Sirius had underestimated how close the couple were. Narcissa slapped him, and his hand immediately went to touch it.

Sirius felt himself slam back against a wall. "You'd think of retaliating?" Lucius flicked his wand again, and cords turned Sirius face-first into the wall. He felt trickles of blood run down the side of his face and he couldn't quite hear what Lucius was saying. His back suddenly seared with pain.

Lucius had sliced him twice across his back and Sirius could feel his shirt grow wet with blood. Sirius yelled out at the third cut on his back.

"Darling," Lucius said, a little sharply, "Don't turn away. You wouldn't want him to think that this pains you to watch, would you?"

Narcissa shook her head, lips pressed tightly together. She wasn't upset exactly, just unsettled. Lucius had only just been admonishing her for picking her own potions ingredients because apparently, despite her knowing about them and having several of the plants growing at home _and_ wearing dragon-hide gloves, she could have been scratched. This was her cousin, and a disgrace he might well be, but upholding her family's values didn't seem like a good enough reason for Lucius' changed personality.

"Good. We mustn't give him any kindness until he learns; I'm sure he can change into someone Lord Voldemort would have great use for. He's intelligent, I'll give him that, and, after all, there's no escaping his blood. Stop that," Lucius said irritably to Sirius, whose silent protests had grown frenzied at the mention of his blood status. Lucius flicked his wand at the cords so that they pulled tighter and increased the blood flow from the cuts.

Narcissa closed her eyes at the increased blood flow. She opened them to Lucius' cold glare. "It's just so messy," she whispered.

Lucius immediately neutralised his expression. "You should have said, sweetheart. I'm sorry; I forget sometimes that you are so delicate." Narcissa felt relieved. "Let me arrange him in a more tasteful manner. Will this do?" Lucius flicked his wands and most of the cords were gone. Instead, a single one suspended Sirius by his neck, high enough that his feet could only just reach the ground to keep himself from choking.

Narcissa faced Lucius and laid her hand on his arm, "Thank you. I'll return to the Common Room shortly." Lucius looked unsettled for a moment at the dismissal, but he took it gracefully and left.

The sound of his retreat got quieter and the sound of blood pumping in Sirius' ears got louder, making it impossible to know when he could talk. "Well," Sirius started. He tried to swallow, but failed against the pressure around his neck.

Narcissa looked at him, head cocked slightly. It was a Black trait and it looked so endearing on her pale face that it almost made her blue eyes look kind. Sirius tried with that thought in his mind, "Cissy, have you thought about Regulus?"

"_Don't_ use that name in front of anyone. In fact don't use it at all." He'd forgotten; the last time they'd been alone together she'd been thirteen and not so obsessed with appearing with perfect demeanour, perfect etiquette and pretending to hold perfect Pure-blood values. That was the time she had told him all about the Slytherin common room, even though Sirius would see it for himself in September.

"Narcissa, what about Reg?" Sirius hated himself a little bit, for asking about his brother at all and for having his air cut off so he couldn't avoid the nickname he'd had for his little brother.

Narcissa's heart fell when she heard the nickname. Sirius was the same as he ever was really was really; looking out for his brother, getting in play-fights and never showing when he was hurt. He was a Black still.

"He's fine, he's doing well in school and no one's bothering him _because_ of his associations with the Dark Lord."

Sirius tightened his fists until he could feel welts in his palm. "He'll kill him! Regulus won't be able to kill for him, he's a good boy, he won't be able to take it and then he'll kill Regulus!" Sirius was frantic with the noose around his throat and the threat to his brother, so he continued, "Please, please don't let him do this. Bring him to me, let me talk to him!"

"Obviously he can't talk to you. Aunt doesn't want him associating with blood traitors, in case he does decide to follow the cause. Which would be wonderful."

"He's a child, Cis- a child. And personally I would have thought you would have been clever enough not to join his little troupe, clever enough to stay neutral and not start shagging one of them, at least until-"

Narcissa slapped him so hard his feet left the ground and his only tether was the cord around his neck. Sirius reeled backwards, gasping for air.

"I'm not Bella! You can't just say what you like and make it up to me by letting me beat you." She hesitated, and dropped the spell that was levitating him by his neck. Sirius fell to the floor coughing. "I'm not Lucius either," Narcissa muttered, and walked away before Sirius could regain the use of his voice.

_-()-_

Next morning at breakfast, James was cutting up sausages lengthways. He then slathered butter onto two pieces of bread, put the sausages in, and took a bite of sandwich.

Butter melted down his chin.

"Ah, so good," James moaned around his food.

Remus wasn't quite feeling up to the sight so he looked around the Great Hall. He saw Lucius Malfoy mutter something to a fellow Slytherin. When he saw the flash of anger in their eyes directed at the boy next to him, Remus felt uneasy.

"Sirius, you didn't say something to Lucius Malfoy, did you? He looks pretty mad."

"What were you expecting, a smile and a flutter of the eyelashes?" Sirius snorted and fluttered his own dizzyingly fast.

"Sirius-"

"Or perhaps a bouquet of fresh red roses?" James cut Remus off and waved his wand to turn a toast pile on the Slytherin table into roses.

"I mean more to my love than mere flowers!" Sirius held his hands to his heart and continued loudly. "Why, he would fight a thousand Hungarian Horntails for me! He would caress my gorgeous arse and whisper sweet nothings in my ear all night! We would-"

"Your love's been caressing your cousin's arse, didn't anyone tell you?" James and Remus sniggered at Peter's remark.

"NO!" Sirius, "HOW DARE HE!"

Lucius shot a furious look at Sirius. Macnair asked him something, but Lucius shook his head and stood to leave. As soon as the two of them left the Great Hall, Sirius roared, "Five points to me!"

"No way, I think you'll find I initiated contact, meaning _I _get the five points." James gestured at himself, sandwich still in hand, and got more flecks of melted butter on his face.

"I thought it was 10 points, if it was a Slytherin you annoyed out of a room?" Peter asked.

"10 points from Gryffindor. No transfiguration at breakfast." McGonagall barely glanced at them as she walked up to the staff table. "And clean your face Potter."

"SIRIUS!"

"What? I'm trying to get over my heartbreak James, in any way I can."

"Mate, not by licking me you're not! You're not a dog." Remus' saw James and Sirius look at each other and light up internally. He was used to this and continued eating his cereal to get the faint hurt out of his system. The four of them were best friends, but those two seemed to have a psychic bond. Remus looked up from his internal monologue to see Sirius' grey eyes fixed on him.

"Full moon tomorrow is it?" Sirius asked softly.

"Yeah it is."

_-()-_

Remus was chatting with Lily about Prefect duties when he saw Sirius come into the Common Room. He tried to listen to Lily and watch Sirius' movements at the same time, until Lily's waving hand won his attention.

"Go on Remus, I'm sure we can find some time tomorrow to talk about third years possibly bewitching toothbrushes."

Remus smiled with all his attention. "Thanks Lily. I'm ever so sorry." Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled at him so Remus went up the stairs to the dorm.

Sirius was lying on top of his bed, shoes still on. "Up to much?" Remus asked lightly.

He watched Sirius slowly smile and smooth his hand over the space in his bed next to him. "No." Sirius bit his lip lavishly, "Join me?" He used his other hand to slowly un-tuck his school shirt and lift it, dragging his nails lightly up his stomach.

Remus, who had been waiting for Sirius to finish his routine, allowed his eyes to follow the path of Sirius' hand on his stomach. Then he gasped.

"What happened?" Remus could see the edges of the gashes on Sirius' back.

"Well Remus, I decided the girls' dorms are too far away seeing as I wanted something to stick my dick in, and then look who comes wandering in!" Sirius grinned brightly, trying to distract from pulling his shirt back down.

Remus kneeled on the bed and lifted it back up. "Remus I was joking!"

"What happened to you?"

Sirius sat up and snapped, "Nothing!" Remus filched.

"I think I'd like you to tell me what happened between you and Lucius Malfoy now."

"Well I told him and Narcissa _exactly _what I thought of their Lord Voldemort and blood purity rubbish. He didn't half go off on one, look what he did to my back!"

Remus grabbed Sirius' hand where it was trying to pull down his shirt. "That was a really bad idea, you know even Dumbledore's worried about Voldemort. There are all the rumours that he's doing more than just the usual Pure-blood bribery and snobbery."

"So what, I was meant to listen to their filth? Remus I'm not like that, I'll say what I think."

"I know you're not like that. But it was really stupid." Remus yawned, feeling what he thought was mainly a psychological pre-moon reaction of feeling tired and headachy.

Sirius smiled and reached under his bed quickly. "Honeydukes. Caramel centres." There was a smug note in his voice that came from knowing Remus would be distracted and sleepy for at least the next two days.

"We'll finish this tomorrow," Remus warned.

* * *

_Reviews would be lovely!*_

_*Translation: I may or may not be sat here refreshing the page every minute for hours not going to the bathroom not replying to people who talk to me and not nearly crying when an email comes through that I think is a review but isn't nuh-uh._

_...I'm absolutely desperate for feedback; if you have the time to spare even for a one-word review I would be thrilled._

_P.S. don't look at the word grey for too long or you'll start to think it looks fake._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Fifth Year, September 1975

Sirius was sat in the window. He had often seen Remus there, curled up with a book and a pack of chocolate, but the other three Marauders had always teased Remus for it. James particularly, saying that out of all the un-Werewolf-like behaviours Remus exhibited, this just took the biscuit and was he quite _sure_ that he was a Werewolf?

James and Peter were in detention and Remus had gone to the Hospital Wing to prepare for his transformation. Sirius was poring over the last day in his mind, trying to think of what to tell Remus about the attack.

Lucius and Narcissa had only begun going out in the last summer, so Lucius hadn't been around before that to care about Sirius' lack of Pure-blood pride. Sirius supposed he shouldn't entirely be surprised about the attack after his detention. It showed Lucius was settling into the Black family ways; Bellatrix hexed him when he so much as mentioned Gryffindor at home.

On the bright side, Lucius Malfoy was a year older than Narcissa, which meant he'd be leaving in less than a year. Narcissa was still civil when she was by herself, so hopefully that and her NEWTs would keep her from bothering Sirius. As for when he got home, hopefully his OWLs would be remarkable enough to keep his parents from inflicting too much damage on him until the time came to pack up and migrate to James' for the rest of the summer.

"Remus? One of the third years managed to get a toothbrush stuck in his- oh. Black." Lily's lip curled slightly. "I'm used to Remus sitting there."

"Please do continue that sentence Evans, I'd just love to know what went where."

Lily rolled her eyes, but answered, "Ear. I'm only telling you so you don't go around spreading misinformation."

"No," said Sirius, thinking of what he was going to tell Remus. "I wouldn't want to do that."

Lily blinked quickly. She was a smart witch and Sirius was worried she'd pick up on his melancholy feelings, so he quickly warded her off.

"If you've finally decided to come to James' bed, he's got detention and he'll be awful upset that he missed you. There's always me though."

Lily immediately flamed up. "How dare you Black! Here I was thinking you were just awful together, but you're just as vile and crude!"

"Yeah well, that's Blacks for you," Sirius snapped, suddenly unable to take it. He looked up at Lily's shocked face and bolted out of the dorm before any concern could show up on it.

_-()-_

Sirius was headed downstairs for the Potions classroom, thinking to meet James and Peter from their detention. He had only got down one floor when he came across Snape.

"So Black, all alone tonight? No Lupin? Of course not, silly me, he's looking after his sick mother at home. So wouldn't you say it's odd that I saw him walking around the grounds with Pomfrey?"

"Well no Lupin, however I did have the company of the lovely Lily Evans in my boudoir earlier."

"She wouldn't!" Snape snapped, his eyes widening in anger. He then seemed to calm down, and with a smile, he replied, "She wouldn't. Lily hates you and Potter. But someone _was_ in mine. He's got the same last name as you, but he manages not to drag it through the mud like you. In fact, he came to my dorm to tell me about an offer he'd been thinking about." Snape met Sirius' eyes. "I'll give you three guesses."

Sirius froze.

"Yes, Regulus came for a little bit of advice. About the Death Eaters."

"He'd never join!" Sirius burst out, "He's only child and he knows better."

"And how does he take advice like that from a blood traitor like you?" At Snape's words, Sirius fumed. "But I, unlike you happen to be in Slytherin. I may have certain influences with your brother. Perhaps if you satisfy my curiosity about Remus, I could steer him away, along other Pure-blood paths. But if you don't..."

Sirius had been getting more and more wound up, and the idea of betraying Remus made him lose it. He cast a stinging hex at Snape.

Snape hissed and his hand immediately held where the hex had hit him. "Worthless Griffindor. Crucio!"

Sirius was caught completely off guard. It didn't last long; Sirius could only be grateful that Snape didn't have the years of practice that his parents boasted.

"Ever had that done to you at home Black? Maybe took a curse meant for little Regulus?"

Sirius nodded. "They know I'll take it for him; they'd never actually get him with it." Sirius' mouth went slack. He couldn't believe it; he hadn't even told James about the Cruciatus at home and here he was telling Snape. Why was he answering the greasy git's questions?

"I knew already, he told me. Because we're _close_ Sirius, because we talk and share things. Like brothers. Oh," Snape practically sang, "You're wondering why you answered my question. They say that multiple Cruciatus curses slowly send you mad. It starts as an inhibitor, kind of like Veritiserum. Very useful for torture, stops anything silly like Gryffindor loyalty and bravery getting in the way. Then depression. Then," Snape grabbed Sirius' chin, "You just become a shell. But on the bright side, at least the depression goes away."

Sirius felt himself coming back to himself the longer Snape talked.

"Crucio!" Sirius fell down, and although the duration of the curse was short, he felt like he had left his body, and this was happening to someone else in another place and another time.

"You want to know where Remus goes? I'll tell you," Sirius observed Snape's look of disbelief and pulled himself up, swaying and feeling an internal voice screaming at him. "It's under the Whomping Willow-"

"Crucio!"

Sirius screamed this time.

"Get up. Mobilicorpus!" Snape snarled. "Think you're clever Black? Trying to send me to get beaten up by a tree?" Snape was livid, and the spell holding Sirius up started to shake unpleasantly. "I see you really don't care about Regulus anymore. Which is such a shame, the way he was crying about his dearest big brother taking so many Cruciatus curses for him over the years. Maybe I'll put the idea in his head that the Dark Lord would never allow that kind of thing for a favoured Death Eater's brother."

"I do care, I wasn't lying," Sirius choked out, feeling sweat start to build and his head spinning. "There's a way to stop the branches, just- just get a stick or something..." Sirius felt faint and black spots were tainting his vision. "Poke the knot..."

Snape's face lit up cruelly, and Sirius felt the Crucio again before he fell unconscious.

_-()-_

James felt the mirror in his pocket heat up as he and Peter left detention. "Sirius mate, you don't look too well. Actually, you're probably still better looking than Remus right now to be fair."

"Never mind- Snape - the Willow- James you have to go!"

"What?"  
"GO TO THE WILLOW, Snape's on his way there."

_-()-_

It was all Sirius could do to drag himself up to the dorm; otherwise he would have gone to help James. He lay down on his bed and wished he had the energy to punch something; he couldn't believe he'd told _Snape_, couldn't believe that he'd have the audacity to cast an Unforgiveable.

The dormitory room opened to James and Peter.

Sirius sat up quickly on the bed, feeling the after-effects of the Cruciatus. "What happened?"

"What did you _do_ Sirius?" James looked appalled, his hair was more messed up than usual and there were twigs in it. No blood on him though.

"I told Snape about the trick to the Willow, he wanted to know where Remus went, but-"

"You bastard," James spat, looking anywhere but Sirius.

"I know," Sirius said softly. Remus' secret was something the boy was terrified about people learning. Sirius remembered when they had first found out and, like complete gits, decided to have some fun with it instead of saying they outright knew and didn't care. After comments at the breakfast table about the meat being too well done for Remus, and in Potions about Remus' 'furry little problem', and in the hallway in commiseration to Evans about That Time Of The Month and how Remus' was quite bad too but you didn't hear him going on about it thank _you_ very much, the four boys retired for the night.

But at one remark in the dorms ('I know I'm shirtless, but control your animal instincts man!") Remus shocked the other three by bursting out crying. They had had to ply him with the supply of chocolate they had bought as a surprise for the next week's full moon to get him to stop crying, however once they explained what it was for, his crying got worse. Bewildered, the three of them waited for Remus to stop crying. ('It's like I'm still your friend, you buying me chocolate!') ('Of course, we're still your friends Remus, your furry little problem hasn't made a difference so far has it?') They had stayed up all night convincing Remus they really did still want him as a friend. He then explained that his heart couldn't take another day like that, where he was scared everyone had found out, so they all solemnly promised to keep Remus' secret.

A charged pause followed Sirius' reply, so he turned to Peter. "Tell me what happened," Sirius begged. "Is Remus okay?"

Peter looked terrified. "James pulled him back, but Snape saw. I got Dumbledore and- and they're both okay. And Remus."

"No one died." Sirius closed his eyes, thankful for the moment.

"Yeah, no one died. You didn't almost make Remus a murderer; almost have him sent to Azkaban." James met Sirius' eyes and the anger in them seemed to multiply. "You should be in Slytherin for that."

James stormed into the bathroom leaving Sirius to collapse back onto the bed. He would explain to James later, maybe. He never had got around to telling James that his parents' hatred for him was more active violence than passive neglect, and he didn't think he was up to relaying the degenerative effect of multiple Cruciatus curses right now. Especially since Sirius' heart just about broke with that last comment.

Peter looked like he was going to say something several times, then stopped. "You've got to go see Dumbledore. I'm supposed to escort you and get a teacher if you don't come."

_-()-_

On the walk to Dumbledore's office, there was a silence between them. Sirius used the walk to brood about James; he'd thought he would beg for an explanation and know that Sirius would never do this. But his best friend hadn't even tried.

After mumbling 'lemon drops' at the gargoyles, Peter mumbled at Sirius and left.

Dumbledore was sat at his desk when Sirius entered. Thankfully, he was by himself.

"Severus tells me this was a prank. But why Sirius?" Dumbledore didn't bother with formalities.

"It was just to scare him." Sirius muttered.

"Even I can't believe that." Sirius was panicking; he knew Dumbledore wouldn't stop until he got something resembling the truth.

Sirius realised too late that the effects of the Cruciatus curse were still lingering. He tried to fight it, but failed. "Snape was taunting me and suggesting Regulus was under his influence and that if I said where Remus went, he'd lure Regulus away from Death Eater influence." He only just kept the bit about Snape casting Cruciatus from Dumbledore.

"This war." Sirius looked up in shock at the despair in Dumbledore's voice.

A flapping cloak caught Sirius' eye. Dumbledore saw, and said, "I have asked Phineas not to relay any details of this to Grimmauld place. He will not reveal Mr Lupin's condition. However, whether or not he will pass on the fact that you are in the Headmaster's office being reprimanded is another matter."

"What about Snape revealing it?"

"He has taken an Unbreakable Vow as Mr Potter had the forewarning to send Mr Pettigrew to me straight away."

"But how did you phrase it?" Sirius burst out. "Because if you missed anything, if you didn't say the right things then Remus will-"

"I assure you-"

"But you don't know Snape! What he's capable of! What if he goes off to Voldemort, he doesn't give a shit about school he just wants-"

"Enough." Sirius stopped immediately. "Mr Black, I believe you should realise you are capable of murder after tonight." Sirius felt stricken that the headmaster would think that was what he wanted for Snape, and that he'd use one of his closest friends as a means to achieve it. "As for the vow, I think being Headmaster of Hogwarts and founder of the Order of the Phoenix lends me capability to perform the spell to ensure its longevity. It will last for at least fifteen years. The Vows have to have a specific time period and should I need to, I will make another one in time."

"I didn't- I didn't mean murder. Sir, I didn't! I wouldn't do that to Remus... I don't know what the Order of the Phoenix is."

Dumbledore stared hard at Sirius for a moment, and then glanced behind him to ensure the absence of Phineas Nigellus. "The Order of the Phoenix is for wizards that are of age who wish to fight against Voldemort. It is a secret operation." Sirius nodded, unsure of why he was being told about something like this when his family were one of the darkest in the school as well as staunch Voldemort supporters.

There was a silence in the office, during which Dumbledore stared at Sirius. He nodded, and then said, "Mr Black, after seeing Mr Potter's reaction I don't think I can punish you anymore than your friends will. I don't want to either, considering Mr Lupin's condition could come out. However I will be writing to your parents." Sirius twitched, and Dumbledore observed this too. "Please return to your common room."

Sirius almost wished he were going home when he thought of earlier in the dorm. "Sir," he asked Dumbledore, "Do you think I should have been in Slytherin? All of my family were, and it's not like that Gryffindor loyalty is working out."

Dumbledore didn't quite smile, but his eyes lightened. "Mr Black, rest assured I wouldn't have told just anyone about the Order. Now, I think you will need to get back before curfew. Goodnight."

"Night Professor." Sirius muttered. He'd been hoping for more, for longer, but he'd just have to hide in a secret corridor until he was certain that the other two would be asleep. He didn't even want to think about the next time he'd see Remus after this betrayal.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! ...I'm shallow and I would love some reviews. And yes, I didn't really punish Sirius because he really is having awful trouble meeting Slytherins in corridors isn't he? Anyway, this chapter was kind of rushed due to me trying to finish before I'm stuck at work again, so feedback would be a nice present to come home to!_


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